Zelenskyy highlights need for ‘strong relations’ with Slovakia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday stressed the need for "strong relations" between Kyiv and Bratislava during a phone call with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

"We need strong relations between our countries, and both of us are interested in this," Zelenskyy said in a statement on US social media company X following the call.

Zelenskyy said it was encouraging that Slovakia backs Ukraine's bid to join the European Union and is willing to share its accession experience.

The Ukrainian president said he had invited Robert Fico to visit Kyiv and thanked him for an invitation to visit Bratislava.

"Our teams will work on scheduling it," Zelenskyy added.

The phone call comes following a months-long diplomatic crisis between Kyiv and Bratislava over a halt to Russian crude oil transits through the southern section of the Druzhba pipeline since late January.

Ukraine said the disruption was caused by a Russian strike.

However, Slovakia, as well as neighboring Hungary, accused Kyiv of deliberately halting Russian oil deliveries via the pipeline to gain political leverage and, in response, took various steps, including suspending diesel fuel exports to Ukraine.

Slovakia confirmed late last month that crude oil deliveries to the country via Druzhba resumed, after Ukraine said that it had concluded repairs to the damaged section of the pipeline.

The resumption of deliveries subsequently led to the unblocking of a €90 billion loan package for Ukraine, which the European Council had adopted in December last year.

The loan was blocked by Hungary, which, under outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orban, demanded that Ukraine restore Russian oil transit through the pipeline before lifting its veto on disbursement.

Meanwhile, Fico said at the time that his country would "reconsider its hitherto constructive position" regarding Ukraine's EU membership if Kyiv continued to "harm Slovakia's interests in the supply of strategic raw materials."